MT falls to SE, 54-50

It was a game featuring two of the best basketball teams in the Southeast District of Ohio as the Miami Trace Lady Panthers hosted the Panthers of Southeastern High School (Ross County) before a substantial crowd Thursday.

With a tournament-like atmosphere, an old-fashioned barn-burner, the two teams battled down to the wire before Southeastern emerged with a 54-50 win.

Miami Trace suffers its first setback of the season to fall to 14-1 overall.

Southeastern improves to 12-1 on the year.

Ella Skeens was the game’s leading scorer for Southeastern with 21 points.

“I thought the first six minutes of the game cost us tonight, big time,” Ackley said. “We dug a hole and we never really got out of it. We tied it a couple of times and they responded by hitting threes.

“I give Southeastern all the credit in the world,” Ackley said. “They’re a great team with a couple of really good players and some nice role players; they’re well-coached. Skeens is one of the best players, if not the best player, in the area. She made big shots for them tonight.

“We exposed ourselves on defense a couple of times by trying to guard (Skeens and Wheeler) and their role players made us pay,” Ackley said. “We just have to do a better job of handling pressure and executing.”

“That’s definitely one of the biggest wins since the Southeastern girls went to the State way back,” Southeastern head coach Mike Adams said. “Definitely one of the biggest (wins) in a good, long time.”

Adams was pleased with his team’s defensive play.

“That’s a defense right there that I haven’t seen this year,” Adams said. “I told the kids, ‘we have got to do our very best on the defensive end, limit them to one shot.’ It was great defense. We just rebounded fantastic.”

It was a fine display of free throw shooting by both teams.

Miami Trace made 12 of 14 from the line for 86 percent, while Southeastern hit 12 of 15 for 80 percent.

Both teams made four three-point field goals.

The difference was Southeastern making 15 two-point baskets to 13 for Miami Trace.

For the game, Miami Trace shot 17 of 51 from the field for 33 percent, compared with Southeastern’s 19 of 53 for 36 percent.

Miami Trace now makes the trip up to Putnam County to take on the No. 1 team in the state in Division II, Ottawa-Glandorf, at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Southeastern is at Washington to take on the Lady Blue Lions Saturday with the j-v game starting at 1:30 p.m.

“This is a great learning experience for our kids,” Ackley said. “We’ve got a day to practice before we go to Ottawa-Glandorf, the No. 1 team in the state, Saturday. There’s no time to sulk. We just have to get after it and play carefree.

“I watched them Saturday at the Classic in the Country,” Ackley said. “They’re very solid; they have five extremely good starters and their bench is very good. They just don’t make mistakes. We’ll have to play the best game we’ve played all year to play with Ottawa-Glandorf and hope with three or four minutes to go we’ve got a shot to win.”